Roh Tae-woo (1932– )

South Korean right-wing politician and general, president 1988–93. He held ministerial office from 1981 under President Chun, and became chair of the ruling Democratic Justice Party in 1985. He was elected president in 1988 amid allegations of fraud and despite being connected with the massacre of about 2,000 anti-government demonstrators in 1980. In October 1995 Roh admitted publicly to having secretly amassed £400 million during his term in office, of which he retained £140 million for personal use. He was arrested in November on corruption charges, along with former president Chun, and placed on trial in 1996, on charges of sedition and military rebellion in 1980. He was found guilty in August 1996, heavily fined, and sentenced to 22 years' imprisonment. In December 1996 an appeal court reduced his prison sentence to 17 years.